Buying CSR software - a step by step guide for companies
GivingForce sales lead Terence Webb shares his top tips on what to look out for when purchasing corporate giving software.
For purpose-driven companies engaged in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) or meeting CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) goals, finding the right software solution to address your challenges, streamline tasks and let you spend more time on adding value and less time on administration is going to help you achieve those goals.
It is helpful to think about your company structure and your employees before you start looking for a solution. Do you need a solution that links employees in multiple divisions and offices around the world that can scale with your business? Do you need a solution that you can tailor to deliver your giving programmes and enable your workforce to give to charities globally? Do you need transparent and auditable reporting, payments and compliance?
Understanding what it is that you need and want from your corporate giving software can shape the scope and function of your giving programmes for years to come. Like any aspect of your business, a one-size-fits-all approach might not be quite right. But, there are some key things to look out for:
1.Set out what your company needs and interests are
Before you can start exploring software, you need to understand what the needs of your business are and what problems you are trying to solve. Map out what you believe to be the needs of your company. Include any current employee giving programmes that you offer and note any challenges or issues you want to overcome. Future proof them as much as you can, considering things like company growth and potential acquisitions. Use this as your initial specification of requirements.
2. Do your research to see what’s available?
Explore different software solutions and understand what each provider offers. Does it fit in with your current needs? And your potential future needs? Look at the benefits offered and take up the opportunity to have a consultation and product demonstration with a chosen few. Look out for learnings along the way and how you can build on your own knowledge and the specifications you have.
Choose a solution that saves on repeatable tasks such as administration and reporting.
Good giving software should log transactions in real time, allowing you to manage programmes easily and export reports at the click of a button as and when they are needed.
3. Review your findings and update your requirements
Update your requirements based on what you have learnt during your research. You will want to make sure that the provider you are most interested in can do everything that you need it to do. For example, can the provider process payroll giving schemes and make payments to charities? Once you have an understanding of what options you have, this is when you will want to dig a little deeper and ask yourself:
4. Does the software integrate with your other systems?
Look out for systems that are difficult to set up or have limited integration options. One key element to consider is how the software or platform will be accessible for your employees and administrators and whether it integrates with your payroll system, HR platform and security set up. Ideally, the solution will be cloud based and be accessible through a Single Sign On (SSO).
5. How long does it take to get the system up and running?
Make sure you do your research and ask about implementation time. It can be frustrating thinking you’ve done all the hard work to only then realise it’s going to take even longer to get things up and running. Find out if there’s a backlog and what your own IT, HR and Legal teams might need to consider in advance. Ask providers to be transparent about their onboarding time frame and when you can expect to be up and running.
6. What training support is offered as part of onboarding and going forwards?
Software should be intuitive and easy to use, but there should also be a training process so that all facets of a new system can be used by your staff. Ask about the onboarding and training process before signing on the dotted line. It’s important to make sure your administrative teams are comfortable using the portal before they get started. Find out if the customer support team is available out-of-hours, if there’s a ticketed support system and how quickly you’re likely to find the right information or get help from a human being if you need it.
Ask about customer success too as this is now offered by many providers as they will want to help you to get the most out of using their solutions.
7. Make a shortlist and ask for a tailored proposal
Once you are feeling confident about your requirements and the providers you have shortlisted, set up further calls to give your colleagues a chance to understand what’s on offer and ask any questions they might have. If you are happy with what you learn then invite your preferred provider to create a proposal that’s tailored for your company that you can review and hopefully take forward.
Terence Webb
Sales Lead at GivingForce
Book in a consultation call to discuss your company’s needs and interests with a member of our team or take a look at our product guide for more information.
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